Pastor Dan’s Blog

Regaining Our Edge . . .

Regaining our edge . . .

I can imagine that time stood still. Like the movie the Matrix, everything goes into slow motion as the axe head flies toward the drink. His eyes examine the reason the axe is so light now. Confusion sets in . . . the axe head was just here a second ago.

Where did it go? Did any one see?

Then off in the background he hears the sound of the axe head splashing down in the middle of the Jordan River. How did this happen. Now what? How do I ever get it back? He is now standing on the edge of the Jordan River hoping somehow to catch a glimpse of the lost iron. He stands there starring at the place the axe head use to be. Desperation sets in.

How did this happen? How will I ever recover it? How do we get our edge back?

The process is actually very simple. Second Kings lays out the process for our lives.

First, we must admit it we lost it.

We have all faced a situation of loss or failure that can be embarrassing. One of the main schemes of the enemy is to make us feel isolated or embarrassed. This isolation can cause us to hide the fact that we lost it. The young prophet was wise enough to understand that he needed help so he runs and tells Elisha what happened.

What is funny is that many people attempt to fake it until they make it but like swinging a stick at a tree you are making no progress. Many people fake that there marriages, finances, health & mind are fine but they have no evidence of progress and embarrassment locks them into a prison of isolation.

If you have lost your edge, you must first admit it.

Secondly, you must go back to where you lost it.

Elisha asked the young man a very important question . . . “Where did you lose it?” We must know where we lost our edge in order to get it back again. Sometimes it is a hurt, a crisis or a unresolved offense that can cause us to grow indifferent and lead us to losing our edge.

Where did you lose your passion for your spouse? Where did the financial crisis begin? Where did you lose your love for God? Like Andrae Crouch’s old song, “Take Me Back” we need to go back to the place we lost it.

Lastly, allow God to restore it.

Elisha does something unusual; he cuts a piece of wood and throws it into the place where the young man has lost the axe head. This act is followed by the impossible. The laws of physics do not apply. This one act makes iron lighter than water and . . . the axe head floats! One man with a piece of wood makes the impossible become possible. As ridiculous as it sounds, one man (Jesus), with one piece of wood (the cross) makes the impossible happen. The same can happen in your life, ministry, marriage, finances & your body. The impossible is possible with Christ.

The axe head floats to the top of the Jordan River to the astonishment of the young man. Elisha then instructs him, “Go get it.”

Today if you have lost your edge. Go get it. Jump in, don’t be afraid of getting wet.

Get your edge back!

Tags: Edge, impossible, passion, restore

Losing Your Edge

Have you been having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning? Is work becoming something you endure rather than enjoy? Are you finding it difficult to stir up the motivation to keep going & keep doing?

If so, then maybe you have lost your edge.

In 1 Kings 6 the University of The Prophets are experiencing incredible success and growth. This growth causes them to to recognize the need for a bigger facility to house more trainees. As they are building one of the students is cutting down a tree when the unthinkable happens. The axe head flies off and lands in the middle of the Jordan river.

He lost his edge.

To make matters worse the axe was borrowed! You see, there was no Home Depot to run down too and pick up another one. Iron was a very expensive metal in those days. This man would have to become the slave of one he borrowed it from if he could not recover it. In a panic he runs and tells their University President, Elisha.

How do we lose our edge?

1. We lose our edge when we are focused on completing a task.

This young man was so focused on his task to cut the wood, he lost focus in other areas. His heart may have been in the right place but his desire to finish his task caused him to overlook the care of the tool. I have seen many people fail personally while they make great progress professionally. Marriages can crumble while careers flourish because we get tunnel vision.

2. We lose our edge when we ignore the warning signs.

Axe heads don’t just fly off. Signs the axe head is loosening will always precede its loss. Each of us must be aware of the warning signs that we too are losing our edge. The signs will show in our marriages, relationships, careers, educational pursuits and our ministries. The problem is like this student we too ignore the signs that things aren’t as tight as they need to be. Then without further warning we lose something of extreme value.

3. We lose our edge when we don’t take ownership.

The axe head was borrowed but the young man didn’t consider that until he had lost it. An owner treats his tools with care. Why? Because he paid a price for them, it cost him something. We must take ownership of our families, marriages, ministries and salvation. It must cost us something otherwise we become careless with what someone else has paid the price for.

If you have gotten careless or ignored the signs that your are losing your edge, it is time to tighten it up or find it, if you lost it. It might seem an impossible task to reclaim the edge but all things are possible.

Next week . . . How to get your edge back or listen to the message on now on the CWC Podcast on iTunes, Passion.

Tags: care, Edge, passion, warning signs